Clothes hanging apparatus



July 18, 1939. E. c. ROBERTSON CLOTHES HANGING APPARATUS 7 Filed Aug. '7, 193'? INVENTOR A/ R055? JON Patented July is, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements inclothes hanging apparatus.

'One object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus wherein a plurality of lines I for the hanging of clothes and other apparel, are provided, with means for maintaining said lines taut at all times.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved clothes hanging apparatus which is arranged so that its lines may be 10- cated at any desired elevation from the ground and which is so constructed that said lines may be readily displaced from their suspended position, whereby they are completely out of the way 1 when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus'of the character described wherein a plurality of lines are wound on reels, with manually operated means for rotating the go reels to wind or unwind said lines, whereby the apparatus may be quickly and easily set up or taken down.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved clothes hanging apparatus which is so arranged that its lines may be readily placed by a person of normal height, notwithstanding the fact that the lines, when tightened and in clothes supporting position, are above such person's head. 30 A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of theinvention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and 35 by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an -example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figurel is a perspective view of an apparatus, constructed in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view, taken through the crank and operating shaft.

In the drawing, the numeral Ill designates an upright post or standard which has its lower end preferably embedded in the ground or other 45 support. The post may be of any desired height and has a split clamping collar ii secured to its upper end. The collar is split so as to facilitate its removal from the post and one section of said collar is formed with a bearing sleeve l2 ex- 50 tending upwardly therefrom. A cylindrical supporting bar or rod lj extends through the sleeve l2, and has its, ,cen,tral portionsecured within said sleeveby a suitable. set. screw I4 A pluralityfof supporting arms or brackets 55 are mounted on the supporting rod l2 and (Cl. till-119.10)

extend radially therefrom. Each arm or bracket has a collar ll at one end thereofand each collar surrounds the rod and is fastened thereto by a screw which passes through the collar and engages the supporting rod. The outer end of each I arm or bracket is formed with a similar collar it which surrounds an elongate shaft I9. It is pointed out that the shaft extends substantially parallel to the supporting rod since all of the arms or brackets is are substantially the same 10 length, and said shaft is rotatable within the collars it provided on the end of the arms'li. Four supporting arms or brackets have been shown and said arms are spaced equal distances apart throughout the length of the supporting l5 rod I3 and the shaft l9, however, any desired number of supporting arms may be employed and the invention is not to be limited to any particular number.

A plurality of reels are mounted on the Q0 shaft l9, being preferably located in space relation on said shaft. A clothes line 2| is wound on each reel and has its outer end supported as will be hereinafter explained. Since the reels 22 are mounted on the shaft [9, it will be evident u that a rotation of said shaft will impart rotation to the reels to wind or unwind the lines 2| from said reels.

'For imparting a rotation to the shaft IS, a driven sprocket wheel 22 is keyed or otherwise go fastened on said shaft, being disposed as closely to the central portion of the shaft as is possible. The invention is not to be limited however, to the particular location of the sprocket 22 as obviously, it .could be mounted on the end of shaft if desired. A drive sprocket 23 is mounted on a stub shaft 24, which shaft extends outwardly from one side of a splitclamp 25. The clamp 25 is secured on the post or standard Ill at any point thereon but preferably nearer the lower 6' end thereof. An endless chain 26 passes over the sprockets 22 and 22 to connect-the sprockets together, whereby a rotation of the sprocket 28 will impart rotation to the sprocket 22. and the shaft I! on which the latter sprocket is mounted.

For imparting a rotation to the sprocket 22, an angular nut 21 is preferably made integral with the sprocket 23 and has the stub shaft 24 extending therethrough. A pin 28 extends transversally through the shaft and is located adjacent the outer end of the nut 21, whereby lateral movement of the nut and sprocket on the shaft is prevented. A crank 29 having a collar 20 at its inner end through which the shaft 24 extends, is provided for facilitating the manual rotation of the shaft 5 24 in sprocket 23. The collar 30 of the crank is formed with an angular socket 3| which is adapted to engage over the angular nut 21 whereby a connection between the crank and said nut is had. With such arrangement, it will be manifest that when the socket 3| is engag with the nut and the crank 29 is rotated, thelsprocket 23 will be rotated to impart a rotation-to the sprocket 22 through the chain 26. A rotation of the sprocket 22 will of course rotate the shaft l9 and the reels 23 mounted thereon to wind or unwind the line 2| therefrom.

The crank 29 is adapted to'be rotated in a clockwise direction to wind the lines 2| on their respective reels or spools 20 and to prevent a counter-clockwise rotation of the sprocket 23, a ratchet wheel 32 is journaled on the stub shaft 24, being preferably made integral with or suitably fastened to the sprocket 23. Rotation of the sprocket 23 will of course, rotate the ratchet 32, and a gravity operated pawl or dog 33 has its lower end engaging the teeth of said ratchet. The upper end of the pawl is pivoted on a pin which is secured on the clamp 25. As is clearly shown in Figure l, the teeth of the ratchet wheel 32 are so arranged that a clockwise rotation of the sprocket wheel 23 may be accomplished, the pawl merely riding over these ratchet teeth as the same rotate. Obviously, the pawl or dog 33 will prevent a counter-clockwise rotation of the sprocket, and in order to permit such counterclockwise rotation, said dog must be lifted or raised so as to disengage the ratchet teeth.

From the above, it will be evident that the crank 23 controls the rotation of the reels or' spools 20 on which the lines 2| are wound. The free or outer end of each line 2| is secured to an end rod 34 and this rod is provided with outwardly extending eye bolt 35. The eye bolts 35 are adapted to be engaged by elongate hooks 36 which hooks have eyes 31 at their opposite ends. The eyes 31 are engaged over wall hooks 38 which are fastened at any desired height on the wall of a building or other support. With such arrangements, the lines 2| extend between the reels or spools 20 and the hooks 36 and by rotating the crank 23, said lines may be tightened whereby they will be taut at all times. The distance between the hooks 36 and the reels or spools may of course vary depending upon the length of lines desired.

For spacing the lines 2| an equal distance from each other at their mid-portion, said lines extend through openings 39 provided in a spacer rod 43 which is slidable along said lines. The spacer bar 40 is formed with a depending pin 4| which may be engaged in the upper end of a tubular supporting pole 42 whereby the intermediate portion of the lines 2| may be readily supported.

To allow free spooling of the lines 2| and to prevent fouling thereof as the same are wound or unwound from their respective reels,'a guide bar 43 is provided. This bar may be cylindrical in cross-section and is supported by arms 44 which have one end secured to said bar and their opposite end journaled on the shaft IS. The bar 43 is provided with elongate slots 45 through which the lines 2| extend and obviously as said lines are unwound from-their respective spools on reels 20, the slots act to guide the movement of said lines and prevent fouling thereof. The bar 43 ispreferably made of wood or some other light material as its weight is borne or carried by the lines 2|.

When the device is not in use, the eye bolts 33 are of course detached from the elongate hooks 33 and the reels or spools 23 have been rotated so as to wind substantially all of the lines 2| thereon. The bar will assume the position shown in dotted lines in Figure l with the guide bar 43 suspended from the shaft I! by its supporting arms 44. The spacer rod 40 will of course fall downwardly on the lines 2| and will rest on the end rod 34. In such position, the lines 2| are completely out of the way and the device takes up a minimum amount of space.

When it is desired to use the device, the elongate hooks 3B are normally hanging in the position shown in dotted lines are raised upwardly to a horizontal position. It is pointed out that the length of the hooks 36 may vary and at all times are of suiiicient length that a person of normal height may reach the same when they are suspended from the wall hooks 33. The

pawl 33 is then disengaged from the ratchet wheel 32 to permit a counter-clockwise rotation of the sprockets 23 and 22, which accomplishes an unwinding of the lines 2| from their respective reels 20. are engaged with the hooks 33 after which the pawl 33 is lowered so as to again engage the teeth of the ratchet 32. The crank 23 is then rotated so as to impart a clockwise rotation to the sprocket 23. Such rotation of the sprocket 3o 23 imparts a similar rotation to the sprocket 22, shaft l9 and reels 20, whereby the lines 2| are rewound on to said spools or reels until said lines are taut. The spacer rod is then moved to an intermediate position between the reels 2! u and the end bar or rod 34 so that the pole 42 may be positioned beneath said spacer bar. It is noted however, that the pole 42 is movable and that the spacer rod 40 may be located at any point along the lines 2|. ratchet wheel 32 and pawl 33 acts to hold the lines 2| taut while the device is in use.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A clothes line hanging apparatus including, a

transversesupport, means mounted on the supports for rotating the reels in common, clothes lines wound upon said reels, a transverse bar to which the free ends of said lines are attached,

and means for detachably connecting the last named bar to a fixed support to hold said lines 5 in clothes-hanging position.

2. A clothes line hanging apparatus including, an upright ground support, a transverse head bar rigidly mounted on said support, a transverse support rotatably mounted on said head bar, a

plurality of laterally-spaced reels mounted on the transverse support, means mounted on the supports for rotating the reels in common, clothes lines wound upon saidreels, a transverse bar to which the free ends of said lines are attached, 85

means for detachably connecting the last named bar to a fixed support to hold said lines in clotheshanging position, and a swinging guide for laterally spacing the clothes lines and hinged to swing with said lines in their reeled and unreeled positions.

3. A clothes line hanging apparatus including, an upright ground support, a transverse head bar rigidly mounted on said support, a transverse support rotatably mounted on said head bar, a "1- After this is done, the eye bolts 25 The provision of the o raiity of laterally-spaced reels mounted on the transverse support, means mounted on the supports for rotating the reels in common, clothes lines wound upon said reels, a transverse bar to which the free ends of said lines are attached, means for detachably connecting the last named bar to a fixed support to hold said lines in clotheshanging position, a transverse spacer rod slidably mounted on the lines intermediate said last named bar and the reels for laterally spacing said lines from each other, and means arranged to engage the underside of the spacer rod for supporting the intermediate portion of said lines.

4. A clothes .line hanging apparatus including, an upright ground support, a transverse head bar rigidly mounted on said support, a transverse support rotatably mounted on said head bar, a plurality of laterally-spaced reels mounted on the transverse support, means mounted on the supports for rotating the reels in common, clothes lines wound upon said reels, a transverse bar to which the free ends of said lines are attached, means for detachably connecting the last named bar to a fixed support to hold said lines in clotheshanging position, and a guide barhaving slots therein through which the lines extend for laterally spacing the same, said guide bar being hinged to the transverse support so as to swing with said lines in their reeled and unreeled positions, whereby spooling of the lines on the reels is facilitated and fouling thereof prevented.

5. A clothes line hanging apparatus including, a vertical post, a transverse head bar rigidly mounted on the post, a transverse shaft con-l nected rotatably to the head bar, a plurality of reels carried by the shaft, means for rotating said shaft to impart rotation to the reels, clothes lines wound upon the reels, a transverse rod to which is secured the free end of each line in laterally spaced order, means for detachably connecting the rod to a fixed support to hold said lines in clothes-hanging position, and a guide hinged to the shaft so as to swing with the lines in their reeled and unreeled positions for laterally spacing said lines.

6. A clothes line hanging apparatus including, a vertical post, a transverse head bar rigidly mounted on the post, a plurality of brackets carried by the head bar, a transverse shaft journaled on the brackets, a plurality of laterally spaced reels fixedly mounted on the shaftwhereby rotation of said shaft rotates the reels, means for rotating the shaft, clothes lines wound upon said reels, a transverse rod to which the free ends of said lines are attached, and means for detachably connecting the rod to a fixed support to hold said lines in clothes-hanging position.

E. CAMERON ROBERTSON. 

